In the processing of naturally occurring fibers, such as cotton, it is the usual practice to mix fibers from a plurality of bales to improve uniformity. Commonly, this is done by removing segments from a plurality of bales and dumping these segments into the hopper of a fiber feeder.
If this operation is performed by hand, it is extremely laborious, hot and dirty work. Thus, several attempts have been made in the prior art to mechanize this operation. Exemplary of such attempts are U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,599 to Golddammer, entitled "Apparatus for Mixing Fibrous components." The Goldammer patent discloses a wheeled fiber plucking mechanism movable between a row of bales arranged behind bale openers. The fiber plucking mechanism in the Goldammer patent is selectively engageable with successive bales for the purpose of plucking quantity of fibers therefrom. Movement of the Goldammer fiber plucker is limited to travel in the space between rows of bales and behind the group of openers.
An improved apparatus permitting removal of fibers from a greater number of bales, and thus permitting greater uniformity of mixing, is disclosed in application Ser. No. 275,942, filed July 28, 1972, by Alex J. Keller, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,908. Basically, the mechanical hopper feeder apparatus disclosed in the Keller application comprises a fiber plucker having a vertically extendable pickup head. The fiber plucker is supported by and movable along a first pair of horizontal overhead tracks which are, in turn, supported at their ends upon a second pair of horizontal overhead tracks positioned tranversely with respect to the first pair of tracts. Thus, by movement of the fiber plucker along the first pair of tracks and movement of the first pair of tracks along the second pair of tracks, the fiber plucker is positionable at any point within a rectangular area defined by the spacing of overhead tracks. In operation, the fiber plucker can be moved over any one of a large number, e.g. 40 or so, bales within the processing area to remove a mass of fibers therefrom and then transport the fibers to the hopper of one of several fiber feeding machines positioned alongside the bale area.
In employing a mechanical means such as described, for example, in the aforesaid Keller application, it is of critical importance that the fiber bales be precisely locted within plus or minus 3 inches in either direction at predetermined locations in order that the pickup head will descend into the central portion of the bale during fiber plucking. Such positioning is of particular importance when the fiber plucker has been electrically programmed to move from one location to another in accordance with a predetermined program, or limit switches or cams associated with the apparatus. To date, this placement has required careful location of the bales by hand within the processing area or careful spacing and positioning of the bales upon a conveyor which then transports the bales into the processing area.